Well Read
by InvisibleNinjaPirate
Summary: Things are not what they seem in the Sol System and Commander Goddard may have gotten too close to the truth, leading to a demotion and reassignment. Further complicating matters- evidence of deep-seated corruption throughout the UPP and STARDOGS, as well as being asked to look out for and protect the daughter of his former mentor...
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Well Read

 **Rating:** T (for some language)

 **Summary:** Prior to being whisked away by the Christa, Miss Davenport discovers Commander Goddard throwing himself a pity party in his "quiet spot" at the Starcademy. Both are under pressure from outside forces and for very different reasons. Commiserating over a shared bottle of scotch, truths are shared, while other secrets lie beneath the surface.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Space Cases. Also, Saturnian Dreamer is the reason this crazy conspiracy idea of mine has gotten serious fleshing out, so thank you, thank you, thank you.

She found him holed up in one of the tucked away catacombs of the school. Top floor, under a thick-plated sheet of glass that looked out to the heavens that surrounded the school. Had her father not suggested the location, TJ never would have thought to seek out Commander Goddard here. There he was though, laying prone on the ground, discarded jacket and vest beside him, as he stared upward through the window. For a moment, she thought he was sleeping until, upon approach, she saw his eyes wide open, and wet streaks on his cheeks. Her heart ached seeing him that way. While TJ Davenport typically would have felt the need to scold the man for obviously drinking (noting the bottle of scotch and glass beside the discarded pieces of his uniform), his glistening baby blues, shining with unshed tears gave her pause. This situation called for a more delicate hand.

Gently lowering herself to the floor beside him, she tentatively made her presence known. "Commander?"

"How did you know where to find me?" he asked brusquely.

Slightly taken aback, she told him, "I didn't. Father suggested I look here. Apparently it was a favorite place of yours as a student?"

That earned a brief half smile. "I should have guessed."

"I take the liquor wasn't part of your early days though," she observed wryly.

"You gonna rat me out?" he challenged.

TJ paused, making a quick decision as she studied his face, before answering. "No," she said softly.

Seth sat up then, getting a better look at her to gauge whether or not she was serious as he wiped his face and eyes with the sleeve of his red uniform shirt. After a moment, he determined she was sincere and sighed. "You should."

"Pardon?"

"Drinking on duty must be a violation of something," he offered.

"Are you on duty?"

"I'm always on duty."

TJ pulled a face. "That's not quite how this all works. You are not currently in the vicinity of any students. No one can see the state you are in. Except me of course, but I never would have found you had my dad not given me the idea."

"Details."

"Why are you up here, Commander?" TJ asked tentatively. There had to be a reason he was in such an isolated spot, alone, with the remnants of tear tracks on his face.

"Needed a place to think," he said vaguely. "As a student, I had always done my best thinking here. Found this spot accidentally while exploring during my first year. I liked the solitude. Did my best work up here."

"Did you come here often?" TJ asked curiously.

"Couple times a week," he said with a shrug. "Your dad was the only one who knew where I'd go when I needed to be alone to think or get work done. Library was too crowded, dorms were too noisy. Kept my secret all these years. Until now." He added those last words with an edge to his voice.

"I'm sorry," she said quickly. "When I couldn't find you anywhere, I got slightly panicked and the only person I could think to ask where you may have gone to was Father. Even he was vague. He revealed your location through a series of riddles and puzzles that I needed to work out myself." She rolled her eyes at that.

Goddard full out grinned at that news. "But you figured it out." He nudged her playfully as he said that.

TJ flushed a deep shade of red. "Yes. Well…." She scrambled to think of something to say in response to that, finally landing on, "How did Father discover you would come here?"

"He had heard from a few people that I disappeared occasionally and they didn't know where to find me. So, your dad followed me one night and saw me come here." Seth smiled at the memory. "He said he was relieved I was here and not off planning trouble somewhere else."

TJ smiled softly. "I could say the same."

Glancing over, Seth shot her a lopsided smirk, seeing in her eyes how it briefly disarmed her before continuing. "Your dad and I talked for a long time that night. He made me promise to keep a watch from then on so I could keep track of time. Apparently I had been spending hours at a time here. Never felt like it though." He paused as he thought about what he was saying. "I was gone for hours wasn't I?" he asked sheepishly.

Her raised eyebrows were all the answer he needed. "Is that why you were panicked? Thought maybe I ran?" Seth was trying to keep the mood light, but in the back of his mind, he wondered if she thought him capable of running.

TJ hummed slightly before answering. "You are many things Commander. A deserter is not one of them."

"How do you know that?"

"You've been here for over two and a half years, Commander. If you were going to run off, you would have done so long ago," she pointed out. "And perhaps you should start heeding Father's advice and start keeping that watch again."

Her cheeky grin almost did him in. "I forgot it in my room… wait. So you _were_ worried?"

Her cheeks reddened again. "No," she denied. "Annoyed, perhaps, that you missed yet another staff meeting-"

"Oh. Oops-"

"But then the Headmistress made some less than kind remarks about it as well and made some passive aggressive commentary about my inability to 'keep Commander Goddard under control.' I'll have you know-"

Seth sat straight up then, sobering instantly, eyes darkening with concern. "TJ, did she threaten you?" he asked worriedly.

"I wouldn't call it a threat," she said quickly, backpedaling. "Just implying that I'm not doing my job." She sighed loudly and stared wistfully up at the stars.

"It's not true," he said quietly. "I don't know anyone who works as hard as you."

"You're probably the only person who feels that way," she said dismissively. Reaching across his body, she snatched up the bottle of scotch that had been beside him and inspected the label. "Dad's favorite," she murmured.

"Who do you think gave it to me?" he asked quietly.

Another eyebrow quirk. A wry smile. A twist of the cap. Then a deep swig straight from the bottle. Seth's jaw hung open. It didn't escape TJ's notice. "Never seen a woman drink before?" she demurred.

"Never seen you drink before," he offered back with a smirk. "Let alone straight from the bottle. I didn't know you had it in you."

"Lots of things you don't know about me." A wide smile, a challenge.

"Anything you're willing to share?"

Another deep swig from the bottle. "Father really does have excellent taste," she noted.

He laughed. "Changing the subject. Although I'm not sure whether to be impressed or shocked by this turn of events."

TJ turned contemplative, considering her words before speaking. "It's rather hard sometimes. I work hard to prove to everyone that I have earned my keep. I work late and come in early. My reports are always filed early and I stay abreast of each student's personal progress, regardless of their academic level."

"I know. No one works as hard as you," he repeated.

"Then why does it feel as though I can't do anything right?"

"Who told you that?"

"Everybody. The Headmistress is constantly reminding me of my place and-"

"Your place?" The Commander looked genuinely concerned. "As an administrator?"

"She's not an easy personality to deal with," TJ admitted.

"The Bride of Frankenstein?" he quipped.

TJ snorted. "Commander!" she chastised, but giggled despite the mild admonishment. "Heavens, she does look like that, doesn't she."

"That hair!"

"Good heavens, that hair!"

Both laughed at their shared realization, taking turns pulling long drinks from the bottle. "It's okay to say it to me," he assured her. "I won't tell."

TJ glanced sideways at him, noting his genuineness before continuing. "I know."

Seth tried going back to the original topic, now that TJ seemed more relaxed. "What makes her a tough personality?"

TJ sighed. "I… have a lot of pressure on me. Everything I've gained in life has been earned through a tremendous amount of work. I'm not the sort of woman who looks for things to be handed to me," she started.

"I know that," he agreed. "You do things the right way or not at all."

"I suppose," she said.

"You do," he repeated emphatically.

She flopped onto her back and heaved a great sigh. "Then why does it feel as though every choice I make is scrutinized by her? I chose to move up the ladder because I felt like I could use the position to impact all the students of the Starcademy, just like my father had. Instead, I'm made to feel like an ineffective figurehead on a daily basis."

"How?" Goddard was curious.

She thought for a minute. "All right. You are aware Mr. Radu has been having a struggle acclimating?"

He nodded. "Caught Trevor Stodsky and his goons swarming him last week. I broke everything up before it could get messy," Seth told her.

"Unfortunately that's not the only incident with him and other students. The bullying has been cruel and I refuse to stand for it," she explained passionately.

"As you should," he readily agreed. "Radu is soft spoken and aware of his own strength. He is afraid of hurting anyone which is why he refuses to fight back."

"Which is why you helped him?" she asked.

"It was the right thing to do," he answered with a shrug.

"I agree with you. The boys were sent to my office soon after and I began the process of disciplinary action. When I presented it the Headmistress I was ordered to not pursue the matter," she revealed.

"What?!" he yelped. Seth's face held a mix of confusion and anger. "That woman let them off? No punishment for aggressively threatening Radu?"

"It wasn't just last week. It's been a half dozen similar incidents since Radu arrived. The poor boy's grades are suffering, even though I believe he is quite bright. I have been tutoring him on the side despite having been ordered not to help him either," she sighed. In a voice barely above a whisper, she added, "I don't know what to do."

"That woman," he growled menacingly.

TJ sat up. "Seth-"

"It's wrong!" he yelled. "She's allowing a child to be brutally terrorized in a place he should feel safe. I should give her a piece-"

TJ caught his hand just as he made to get up. "Don't. I'm afraid that if you go storming the proverbial castle it'll only make things worse for me."

His eyes narrowed. "What do you mean, worse for you?" he asked suspiciously.

"I'm already in enough trouble-"

"TJ?"

"She's rather vocal about wanting both you and Radu gone," she lamented. "I've been trying to fight back, arguing the case for each of you it's only putting extra pressure on me to produce results. And it's frustrating to no end because for very different reasons, neither of you are helping!" The last part came out shouted before she lost steam, flopping onto her back once more and sniffling.

 _Oh fuck, she's crying_ , Seth thought to himself. "TJ?" he asked carefully.

"'It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves,'" she whispered tearily.

"I'm sorry?"

"It's Shakespeare. _Julius Caesar_."

"Okay. Work with me here. It's been a long time since I read Shakespeare," he requested.

"I know that I need to control my own destiny and not to blame outside factors - the fates, Mr. Radu... you… for when things go awry. It needs to be me that accepts the blame. I'm the Assistant Principal. The buck needs to stop with me, especially when my superior refuses to handle things. That's what that quote is saying," she explained.

"Okay. I follow the meaning. You need to clear up the application," he prompted.

"You both need an ally. Someone willing to stand up for and support you both. I want to be that person. My job is to protect every student in my care, as well as to monitor your progress," she explained.

"Radu needs allies, agreed. I don't need help," he argued.

"I beg to differ," she shot back.

"Why? I made my decisions, got stripped of my rank and my life's work, and sent here to be scrutinized in a line of work that I'm no good at," he continued. "I'm not the person you want to ally with, especially if you dream of taking out the Queen Bitch and running this school one day."

"I never said anything about-"

"Didn't have to. People like you- the work horses, the genuine hard workers who earn their keep, deserve to be rewarded for their diligence. But hanging around with me… I accepted responsibility for Reaver and took the demotion because at the end of the day, as a Captain, the buck had to stop with me. Your position is important to you Miss Davenport. Fighting for a washed out, stripped in rank, former starship Captain will only cause more trouble."

"I wish you'd see what I do," she implored.

"And what's that?"

"You may have lost your rank Commander, but it didn't change your core values. The traits that make you a person worth standing up for," TJ told him firmly.

"And what might you suggest those are?" he said bitterly.

"Only a man of great integrity, nobility, and morality could clearly see what was happening with Radu and summon the courage to intervene- on more than one occasion- to try and end the repeated assaults on the boy. You care more for him than you care to admit-"

"What!-"

"And that's okay," she continued. "I do as well. Some of my reports that are filed even speak to your character. But you can't keep skipping meetings and coming late for class. I can't hide those transgressions forever, despite the amount of paperwork I've filled out but not filed."

He was deeply troubled. "What do you mean 'hide them?'" His mind and heart were racing. _She couldn't mean that she was covering for-_

"I want you to be able to go back out into space. To be the STARDOG you've always been. The Headmistress, Command, the tribunal- none of them will allow it if my final reports suggest otherwise."

"So you've been lying?"

"No! Heavens, Commander, I'm not a liar," she defended. "I may have omitted some things in my final drafts, but none of what has been submitted has been a lie."

"Why?"

Fresh tears pooled in her hazel eyes again as she answered softly, "Because, while I am in the minority, I have not given up on you. Neither has Father. Both of us feel you have so much more to give. Speaking for myself, I know the noble, brave, courageous captain is still inside you. Please show that wisdom to the students. Preferably before your assignment ends."

"How do I do that?" he wondered sourly. "Other than Radu who is facing real uphill battles, the rest of the misfits in my class are a mess. Tomorrow I have to break the news that their field exercise- which is about the only thing I've been excited about, let alone them- is cancelled. Gonna be a glorified babysitter. Yay." He laid back, parallel to her, gazing upward at the stars. "We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars."

"Oscar Wilde? Interesting choice of words," she said.

"How do you do that?" he asked.

"Do what?"

"Always know where a quote comes from."

"I'm well-read," she said with a blush.

He looked over at her in awe. "You're brilliant."

TJ met his eyes, surprised by the adoration suddenly shining in them. She was captivated by him, sensing some sort of shift through her alcohol induced buzz. Many things ran through her head, but what escaped was, "You're no slouch yourself."

His eyebrows raised and a lopsided smirk appeared once more across his features. "I'll remember that next time you're referring to me in colorful terms." He had meant to wind her up slightly, and to his great pleasure, saw it had hit the mark.

Her eyes widened and she reached out to shove him away. "Honestly, Commander! Sometimes you are far too kind and the next moment, you're a great lummox!"

"Lummox?" His grin widened.

She scrambled up to her feet, wavering as she realized the scotch had made her unsteady. "I'm leaving," she declared.

He jumped beside her. "TJ, sit down," he told her.

"I will do no such thing!"

"You can barely stand up. Your dad would kill me if I let you try to stumble your way back to your quarters like this," he reasoned.

She contemplated this, then plopped gracelessly onto the floor. "I imagine he'd think you a bad influence, considering it was yourself that provided the liquor."

"You just showed up!" he argued. "And you helped yourself to the scotch without being offered!"

"You didn't stop me. I bet if I reached for more, you'd still let me," she shot back cheekily.

He considered this before replying, "But will you?" A challenge. Why did he enjoy the challenges she threw at him and likewise throwing them back?

She glared at him, seeing his smirk waver for a moment. If she were honest, that smirk was unnerving her. Best to forge on and pretend it doesn't affect her. With a sigh, she admitted, "Probably not. I'm not drunk-"

"Could have fooled me-"

"But I'm impaired enough to know I should not drink anymore. Besides, Father is coming tomorrow and I would quite like to be sober to enjoy his company," she revealed.

"Your dad is coming? Tomorrow?"

"Surely you knew that," TJ chastised. "Heaven knows the pair of you talk enough."

"He might have mentioned it," Seth said vaguely, racking his liquor soaked brain for that bit of information.

"Yes, well, he is. We're having a father-daughter theater night and after he wanted to discuss some things with me," she revealed. "It's been far too long since Father and I were able to sit together without a viewscreen between us."

"What does he want to talk about?" Seth asked curiously. It was true that Seth had expressed many concerns to his mentor over the years, especially regarding the Headmistress and what he suspected was a layer of not so kosher things happening. And while he had certainly given TJ more than a few headaches, part of it was to protect her from what he had been seeing. It sounded like she might be catching on… but… no, not completely. Could James be looking to reveal truths? Would she temper her naturally curious side and lay low? Or put herself in harm's way? Or-

"Commander?" Her voice snapped him from the silent rambling in his head.

"What?"

"I was saying Father wouldn't divulge what he wanted to talk about. Perhaps you know?"

He shook his head. Too much alcohol in his system to clearly think of what James might say. "No."

"Well, then please don't do anything overtly stupid while I'm gone," she pleaded. More softly she added, "I might not be able to save you from that."

He visibly gulped. "I'll- do my best," he managed.

"Good." Slowly getting back up, she steadied herself as Seth leapt to his feet after her.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"I really should get back to my quarters," she told him. "Father will be here in the morning, but we need to break the bad news to the children first."

"I hate this," he ground out.

"I assure you, I gain no pleasure from this either. However, field training in space is both a privilege and a reward for excellence. I just wish they could be out there. It would shut the Headmistress up and give me some leverage to protect you- the children." She sighed. "I need your help, Commander."

"What can I do in three weeks' time, Miss Davenport? I'm not a miracle worker." His voice revealed a defeat she hadn't registered before.

"Perhaps channel some of that Oscar Wilde you were quoting earlier," she challenged. "I'm aware of your feelings of being at the lowest point of your life but here is a real chance to do some good. Don't just look to the stars you've been staring at all evening. Get back to them, where I'm aware you're meant to be."

She turned to go then, leaving him gaping behind her. "Let me at least walk you back to your quarters," he offered.

Looking back over her shoulder, she shook her head. "I've intruded on your private thinking spot long enough."

"It was good company," he said sincerely.

"I'll bet you say that to all the girls who come up here with you," she said teasingly.

His serious, troubled look wiped the cheeky smile from her face. "I don't bring people here," he told her quietly. "Davenports seem to find me-" She had the grace to look guilty. "- but otherwise, this has been my Fortress of Solitude. You're the only woman who's ever been here. With me. Well, not *with* me but…" He flushed a crimson red as he tried to backpedal. "You know what I mean."

She muffled a small laugh that threatened to escape. He looks cute all flustered like that, she thought. Just as quickly as that unbidden thought appeared, she beat it back. The more rational part of her brain reminded her that there were consequences for fraternizing. "Good night, Commander," she whispered before leaving him alone with his thoughts.

Sitting against the wall, he took a long drink from the bottle and stared at the ceiling. "For my part I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream. Van Gogh." With a heavy sigh, he shook his head and resumed his line of thinking from before TJ had interrupted.


	2. Chapter 2

**Title:** Well Read- Chapter 2

 **Rating:** T (for some language)

 **Summary:** Being whisked away to the other side of the galaxy is bad enough. Suddenly being the only caregivers to five wayward young cadets is entirely another. Having lost their support system, Seth and TJ come to realize that perhaps they now have to be that for each other.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Space Cases. Also, Saturnian Dreamer is the reason this crazy conspiracy idea of mine has gotten serious fleshing out, so thank you, thank you, thank you.

TJ slumped outside the classroom door. She had just revealed to the Commander's students that their field training had been canceled. The Commander hadn't shown. After their heartfelt talk last night where she practically begged for his help, he still hadn't shown. They were supposed to do this together! Such high hopes, all dashed. It began to infuriate her. _If that man thinks he can sit back and let me be the bearer of all bad news_ , he has another thing coming, she thought bitterly. Storming down the hall towards his quarters, she never saw the students sneak out of the classroom in the opposite direction.

When TJ reached his door, she banged repeatedly until he answered, bags under his eyes which belied his exhaustion, which was ignored while she began her tirade. "Where in the hell were you this morning? Hungover from last night?" she yelled, accusatory in greeting.

"Miss Davenport, I'm sorry. I lost track of time. I was talking to-" She cut Seth off before he could explain.

"I don't care if you were talking to the High Council themselves. We were supposed to talk to the children. Together. I begged for your help last night, Commander. I don't ask for help from anyone in general- except Father- and I asked for yours. Are you aware of how incredibly difficult that was for me? Do you know how let down I feel?"

"So you came here to berate me? Why do you care so much?" he shot back hotly. He shoved past her and stormed down the hallway.

TJ trailed close behind. "Great question, Commander, why do I? Because all I have done is stick my neck out for you time and again and risk my job. And for what? You to continue to take advantage of that fact and this is seriously my final straw. I can't do this anymore."

"And what are you gonna do? Cry to Daddy tonight?" He regretted the words the instant they escaped his mouth, but before he could apologize, TJ exploded.

"How dare you?! Father has done nothing but support you and believe the best in you- and help me try to see the same. I've been on your side! And this is the way you treat him? I'm done with you, Sir." They stopped outside the classroom door, where she leveled her final threat before entering. "You had best go in there and do some actual teaching so at least one of those students has a chance at a future. Prove you actually have at least one iota of knowledge you can impart-"

Slamming his hand to the access crystal and watching the door slide open, he desperately tried keeping his composure as he entered the room. "Trying to teach them anything is tough enough, Miss Davenport. And now you expect me to babysit them during their-" His face drained of all color. They were gone. _What the hell?_ A flash of something unfamiliar caught his eye outside the window. Rushing to glance outside, his eyes widened as he quickly deduced where his young charges had gone to. Panicked, he bolted from the room, Miss Davenport on his heels, as he raced for the Spaceway that connected the unknown ship to the school.

"Where are you going?" she asked, anxiety creeping into her voice.

"To see if the kids are on that ship," he told her, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. Mentally he was running through a thousand different scenarios. _Where did the ship come from? Why was it at the school? Did the kids sneak aboard? Were there aliens walking around the school? How much danger were they all in?_ Seth operated on autopilot, falling back on the years of training and experience in space as he quickly made decisions and formulated a plan while walking. Granted, all he had so far was storm the ship and look for his students, but still… He's gotten through far worse scrapes with even less.

"We need to go to the Headmistress straight away," TJ said aloud. "Security should be contacted, the school locked down-"

"Then why don't you go do that," he decided hotly. "I'm going to look for my students on that ship myself."

"Are you insane?! We don't know who is on board, where they're from, if they're friendly or hostile-"

"No, we don't," he agreed, stopping short and spinning around on his heel, so quickly that she slammed right into his chest. Losing her footing, TJ stumbled, being caught by Seth and righted again, then violently pulling away just as her arms started tingling where he touched her. _Damn him, why does he always make me feel that way, especially at the worst possible time,_ she thought angrily. "They are my students though. Remember? The buck stops with me. I have to see if they are there. God, if anything happens to them-" he trailed off, running his hands through his hair nervously. He turned and continued to the airlock.

Swearing lightly to herself, she forged on behind him, surprising the Commander when she appeared by his side. "What are you doing?" he asked, annoyed that she was still trailing him.

"Looking for the children," TJ said simply.

"I thought you were done with me. Your final straw? Go tattle to the Headmistress while I go see if they're on that ship. Maybe if we are all lucky, the students and I will all be gone by tonight, which I'm sure is just what everyone wants." He spit the last part out bitterly, but was unprepared for the sting that accompanied the slap she gave him. "Ow! What the hell?"

"As frustrating as I find you all, I'm still responsible-"

"Go off and tell the Bride of Frankenstein then-"

"I can't!" she shouted.

"Why not?"

"Because I'm the last person who saw them!" she admitted. TJ's shoulders slumped as the truth slipped out. "I left them to find you and when we returned, the children were gone. I'm just as much to blame."

His eyes widened as TJ revealed the mistake she'd made. The guilt was evident in her eyes. Taking a deep breath, he said a short prayer and made a decision. "Watch my six," he told her as he tried to enter the Spaceway.

TJ pushed ahead of him, determined to find their charges and bring them back. "No. You watch mine." With that, she strode with purpose down the Spaceway and onto the alien vessel.

"Well damn," Seth muttered. That wasn't the reaction he'd been expecting. Raising his eyebrows enough that he was sure they both touched his scalp, the Commander followed her onto the ship and nearly immediately was rendered speechless. He'd seen a number of ship designs in his years from a good number of races, but this was alien even to him. "What-"

"Have you ever seen anything like this?" she asked, as though reading his mind.

"No," he breathed. He looked carefully at the purple veined walls. "It looks like it's alive. Like I can feel it breathing…" He reached out as though to touch the wall when TJ's hand reached out to grab his, stopping him.

"Don't touch that, Commander!" she said in a panic.

"It's fine," he assured her.

"How can you know that for sure?" she questioned him.

"Only one way to find out," he shrugged. Seth reached out again, once more finding TJ's hand grabbing his.

"Don't!" She seemed more panicked.

He was growing annoyed. "What the hell!"

"I… I… order you not to," she tried, desperately attempting to grasp at straws and see what could stick.

"You order me?" he asked incredulously.

TJ straightened up. "Yes. We don't know what this ship is capable of-"

"You can't order me, I outrank you," he protested angrily.

"I'm still under orders to report your progress. If I'm to keep you out of trouble-"

"Again, why do you seem to care so much if you're supposedly done with me?"

She gaped for a beat longer than intended- just enough time to cause him to storm down the corridor. TJ shook it off and scurried to keep up. Something has to stick, she thought. A minute passed of them briskly walking the unfamiliar hallway, peeking into each doorway before TJ worked out something to say that would surely grab his attention. "It's your fault we're in this predicament."

"They sneak off the Starcademy onto this ship and it's my fault?" he growled.

"You should have been watching them. If someone was to call themselves a 'teacher-'" She emphasized the last part with air quotes.

They both halted and glared. He huffed loudly and retorted, "No, what I call myself is a former starship captain, busted in rank for no good reason and reassigned as a fleet instructor," he hissed.

She crossed her arms and looked away, trying to appear haughty. "No good reason, that's not what I hear." Of course, TJ admitted, the truth was she had never heard the full story from him, but was too proud to ask after all this time. At the very least, it would wind him up.

His hands rested on his hips, indignantly shooting back, "Whatever you heard you heard wrong!"

Before she could fight back, each of them inadvertently touched the walls of the ship and a loud angry chord sounded, scaring both. Each backed into the other, causing TJ to scream, turn, and see the Commander go into, then quickly relax out of a defensive fighting stance. It took her time to steady the thudding of her heart.

"So that's what happens when you touch the walls," he quipped.

The heavy smack to his arm, loud harrumph, and stomping feet as she stormed away signaled her lack of amusement.

Neither noticed the sound of the engines powering up or the movement of the ship as it turned to leave the Sol System.

They were lost. In space. Over seven years from home. If they were to believe the odd little android who came with the ship, seven years, four months, and twenty- two days to be exact. Stranded far from home with five academically challenged children, one former starship captain, and her, an assistant principal whose lack of practical knowledge had been on full (disgraceful) display that day, and the careful facade she had always maintained of cool confidence was shattered. TJ felt like a fraud who had just been exposed as exactly that.

After settling the children into their newly established bunk rooms, TJ had chosen to wander her new home, unable to sleep and looking for some activity to occupy her mind. As a child, she had been a curious and happy kid, always exploring the world around her with her father's encouragement. By the time she was eight or nine, her mum grew weary of TJ's constant excitement, poking her nose into everywhere and coming up with a laundry list of a thousand reasons the galaxy was too dangerous and how she could be hurt or killed. It made TJ anxious and scared, but never killed her desire for adventure. Often she hid herself in the stack of holobooks she always seemed to have, filled with characters living out her deepest fantasies as she remained confined to her boring quiet life on Mars.

TJ had finished high school and university at the top of her class, eventually doing as she pleased by following in her father's career footsteps and not becoming the perfect stepford wife drone her mother had been grooming her to be. It was against her nature to be confined. When the Starcademy job offer came, TJ was more than happy to pack her bags and leave her home on Mars colony, seeing that step in her career path as a compromise between her mother's desire for her and what TJ truly wanted. It allowed her to live on the edge of the Sol system and experience the cultures and customs of races she'd only read and seen on the SpaceNet. It made her hope for the sorts of adventures and opportunities she'd long denied herself in order to satisfy her mother's nagging. It also gave the family matriarch some measure of piece that the vast majority of the time, TJ was at least confined to the school building. Little did either know at first that confined would come to define TJ's feelings about life in general.

Years went by, and the job that had excited her at first became frustrating and tedious. Her direct superior blocked her attempts to follow policies and evenly distribute punishments. Radu, a sweet, gentle, bright boy who struggled with bullying, self-confidence, and the language was a target of the Headmistress. Even with tutoring the young Andromedan, the boy's grades suffered as he couldn't focus enough to find a way to overcome the obstacles he faced, which had only been mounting. Oddly, instead of handling the perpetrators, the quiet alien boy ended up receiving the blame from her boss, baffling TJ, and souring her on her job. Several other children, from various races, either had their behavior overly dealt with or completely ignored. Never an in between. She had been desperately trying to connect the dots, but in private, she couldn't tell anyone- not even Commander Goddard, who also became a source of great concern.

The man, whom she had grown up deeply admiring, was somehow her biggest letdown. Father had told the most amazing stories of him as a student, and later of his career. A top student, amongst the best (if not the best), Father had ever been given the privilege to teach. Diligent, insightful, loyal, intelligent, and noble. Upon graduating, he began rapidly rising in the ranks, proving to be all the above, but also courageous, compassionate, and ambitious as well. Once she was old enough to really be able to follow his career, it didn't escape her notice that he was rather handsome as well. _My, but did I harbor the biggest crush on him!_ , she thought. No one she dated ever held up to the standard she built of Seth Goddard in her mind, which meant meeting the legend himself could only go one way.

Heartbreaking. Disappointing. Sad. Having fallen from grace, from a situation only described as having nearly starting a war with a pirate, he was a shell of what had been told of him. Arrogant, disrespectful, and disobedient, he did everything in his power to find ways to screw up. Missing classes, not filing lesson plans, getting drunk, none of it was beneath him. The only reason she hadn't completely lost her mind was her father's wisdom. He believed, for whatever reason, that something good still existed inside the broken man. TJ was urged, during her many conversations with James Davenport, to give Seth Goddard a chance, to see past the mistakes and understand who he is, not who he presented as. It led to TJ starting to cover for him. She missed administrative meetings covering classes, wrote lesson plans with him, stormed to his quarters and dragged him- hungover- to staff meetings that sometimes she was in charge of running. They had spectacular public fights where she would reveal her frustrations, and he would never back down, but rather, challenge her and provide new perspectives she never considered. The Headmistress had begun to suspect as much, and as much as TJ denied this to the Commander the previous evening, the truth was the "Bride of Frankenstein" had threatened to fire her. More than once. It made her want to quit some days, but at the very least, she planned to stick things out long enough for Goddard to complete his assignment and be gone. For as much as he angered her-

There was something about him that made her curious. Intrigued her. And despite her internal protests, still made him attractive to her. There were a handful of occasions that he would appear in her doorway with a mug of steaming tea, a smirk, and a conversation starter that suddenly lasted hours. The night they shared a long dance at one school function that made her body hum and tingle in ways she'd never felt. And last night, what had become their final night "home," sharing hours together drinking fine scotch and admitting things to each other about their frustrations. It had been oddly intimate, and his admission that she had been the only woman he had ever shared his private thinking spot with shook her in a way that unnerved her. It made her feel somehow special.

And then today happened. They were stranded. Together. Far from home, the chance to see her dad tonight dashed. Her anxiety on full blown display, the blow of not seeing her father was the worst. Losing the ability to punch in a code and see him when she wanted or talk about anything or seek advice felt much like losing a limb. For the first time in her life she was truly on her own and it was the scariest thing imaginable.

Her wandering led her to the galley, where she spent time rummaging through the assorted hidden compartments and cabinets, discovering several stainless steel mugs and a kettle. Further investigation uncovered several small jars containing assorted varieties of teas, including a fairly close facsimile of her preferred English breakfast. Smiling, she brewed herself a steaming cup, filled the mug, and continued on with her exploration, briefly comforted by the familiarity the mug gave her.

She found a cargo hold a little while later and her curiosity was piqued, seeing boxes upon boxes of items from all over the galaxy, seemingly forgotten. Setting her tea aside on one, TJ began looking through some, happening on several boxes of books- genuine hardbound paper books, dusty but otherwise in good condition. She had owned a few of those rare treasures as a child, items passed down through generations of her family, but hadn't been able to bring any with her to the Starcademy. Fond memories of her father reading to her as a child surfaced and the tears followed. She missed James Davenport terribly. The titles available- literally- at her fingertips made her smile. Several books of Earth poetry including Milton, Wordsworth, Whitman, and Shakespeare. Scientific texts. Rigellian fables. Historical references. Science fiction and fantasy novels. Classic literature. Information from centuries of history from dozens of cultures. Much of it in languages she (and surely the rest of the crew) would be able to understand. Cracking open a book of John Milton's poetry, she settled in a corner with her tea beside her, removed her jacket and vest to use them as a pillow to lean on, and lost herself in the words.

When the Commander's voice broke her from the deep zone she was in, she screamed and jumped, losing her book and nearly spilling her tea. She looking up to see the nervousness and concern radiating from his crystal blue eyes. "Miss Davenport?" he asked.

"Commander! You startled me," she chastised. Leaning over, she found her newly acquired book, carefully flipping through to ensure there was no damage. It seemed as though it was okay.

"You weren't in your quarters," he explained. "I tried the galley and figured you had been there as there was a kettle on the display cabinets which I don't think was there earlier. Plus, it smelled like your favorite tea." She blushed at that, sipping shyly from the mug beside her.

"How'd you end up down here then?" she asked.

Seth settled beside her and smiled. "Our new android told me. For as strange as Thelma is, her location for you was weirdly specific." Her raised eyebrow was all he needed to continue. "She said you were snuggled in the corner of cargo hold one, sipping tea and reading a book of old Earth poetry."

She looked slightly embarrassed to have been caught in such detail but half-smiled anyway. "Yes, well…"

"Anything good?"

"John Milton's epics. There's quite a collection of books though. I wonder if we could organize a small library with what there is? Books in English and French and Rigellian and even a few in Andromedan that I'm sure Radu would appreciate-"

Her eyes were positively shining with the idea, a far cry from the screaming mess she'd displayed earlier. In a way, he hated having to change the subject, but he needed to. "I'm surprised you're still up."

"Couldn't sleep."

"Neither could I." He was very quiet, deep in thought, and contemplative in a way she had rarely ever seen from him.

"Are you alright, Commander?" she asked worriedly.

Seth's eyes met hers, the concern shining back in her hazel eyes and he knew there was no way he could lie. Not to her. Not about this. "No," he admitted. "I'm not."

"Commander?"

"What happens now? Where do we even go from here?" he asked shakily. "I mean, home obviously, but in the interim? What do we do?" His face showed a myriad of conflicting emotions- fear, uncertainty, sadness- and tears fell down his cheeks.

"I was hoping you had those answers, Commander," she admitted. "I have extensive knowledge of theory but little practical experience." She looked sheepish.

"You're better with kids though," he insisted.

"You understand how to navigate through space."

"You're the one in charge of the students."

"You outrank me, remember?" She smiled slightly at that comment, hoping he'd understand her gesture. "Despite everything, you are the commanding officer of this ship. I am able to concede that."

He stared at the floor and sighed deeply. "I can't do this alone."

TJ thought back to her earlier musings of being on her own and came to the conclusion that like it or not, the man sitting beside her was her new partner. Somehow it didn't frighten her as much as she thought it would have. "You're not alone," she whispered.

"I'm scared," he choked out. "This isn't some assignment where my crew has entered into this knowing all the risks involved. They're children. And if anything happens to them… I don't think I could live with that pain." Fresh tears welled in his eyes as she watched the man break down in a way that tore at her heart. After all they'd been through today, of the truths revealed, this was the hardest one.

She leaned forward and without thinking, absently brushed his cheek with her hand and wiped away his tears. His face turned to her, eyes connecting, as she tried to assure him. "I'm scared too. There's no guideline in the Starcademy Handbook discussing what to do when stranded on the opposite side of the galaxy. Like you, I'm flying blind. But considering everything, and who I am with, I'm confident we have the right person with us to guide us home."

"Based on what evidence?" he asked. "Or did you glean that from your required reading?"

Dropping her hand, she turned her head away so he wouldn't see the deep blush that had immediately blossomed on her cheeks. "I am never going to live that down."

"Nope." He grinned briefly. "It was a nice ego boost though."

TJ playfully shoved him. "You're incorrigible."

He let out a short laugh as he tried to right himself. "Guilty as charged." The lopsided smirk was back, further disarming her and threatening to break her concentration.

TJ responded with a glare to cover for her suddenly pounding heart. His smirk lessened as he seemed to have his focus broken as well. Curious. _How is it we both seem to know how to make the other retreat? Unless…_

"TJ?" His voice broke her musing again.

"Yes?" She turned to face him and found her eyes locked with his again.

"What do we do?"

"We?"

"We're all those kids have," he realized. "And you're right- as usual. Neither of us is alone. We're a team now."

"That is a frightening prospect," she quipped.

He retreated and turned away, lips in a straight line. TJ immediately felt guilty. She hadn't meant to hurt his feelings. Especially with his confidence shaky as it seemed. _Time to assure him_ , she decided. "Commander?" No response. "Seth?" He turned his head back.

"Yeah."

"I'm sorry. That was… an ill thought attempt at a joke. I'm terrible with humor really. Forgive me."

He nodded and half-smiled. "Terrible with humor, hmm? I'll need to work on that if the two of us are to be on the same team."

"And I'll need to work on getting you to be more serious sometimes," she threw back.

"Fair. We'll be well balanced people at the end of this," he decided. The smirk was back.

"Did we just make our first joint decision?" she asked.

"I believe so. Now we just need to figure out the rest of this," he told her.

"Indeed. I suppose we should start with trying to establish a sense of order. Rules. Expectations. Lessons."

"Command Post trainings," he added.

She nodded. "Perhaps I can handle classroom and you can do the practical trainings."

"I would think that's a given." He grinned.

"Indeed." She got up then, clutching the book and her tea, and went back to the boxes, looking longingly at the various books, trying to decide what she wanted to bring with her that evening.

Seth appeared beside her, curious, and began looking with her. Lifting a copy of _The Martian Chronicles_ from the box, he smiled broadly, as though he struck gold. "Haven't read this in a long time," he said.

"Trying to learn something of my people?" she asked sweetly.

"I'm aware the book is nothing like Mars colony-" he trailed off upon seeing her wry smile. "You just tried to make a joke."

"You said I needed to work on my humor."

"I knew you were a quick study, but damn!" He laughed genuinely and she found it contagious. Once they'd both calmed enough, he held up the book and continued. "Your dad gave me this to read while I was at the academy. Kind of became my gateway drug to all sorts of other classics. _Brave New World, Fahrenheit 451, 1984, War of the Worlds… Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy._ Last one seems appropriate now. Who knew one day science fiction would become my reality."

She rolled her eyes at the last comment, but chose not to address it, settling on instead discussing the additional books she had seen. "I saw some old science fiction classics in there. Perhaps those are amongst them?" she suggested.

"Maybe… your dad! You were supposed to see your dad tonight! Your theater tickets. Oh God. TJ, I'm sorry. Here I am, bringing up this good memory of him and-"

"Seth, stop," she implored. Tears welled in her eyes. "Please. I'm sure he has already discovered we're gone. I do wish I could talk to Father, but for now, I have his favorite student to discuss things with. I suspect that might even give him peace of mind." She attempted a small smile.

"He was always so good to me. More a dad to me than my own," he revealed. "Probably more than I deserved." Tears pooled in his own eyes, upset that both had been yanked away from their biggest supporter.

"You were like a son to him," she whispered. "Even after all these years. He believed the man he knew was still there under the bitterness. After today, I feel he may be right."

"High praise from you," he noted.

"I'll get there. Give it time." Out of nowhere, a great yawn suddenly escaped her mouth, to which she clamped her hands over in embarrassment. "My," she commented.

"Let's get you to bed," Seth suggested.

She blushed. "Not sure quite how to get back to my quarters yet," she admitted sheepishly.

"I'll walk you back," he offered. "We can figure it out together. Jumptubes?"

"Not sure how I feel about them yet," she said nervously. "Are they even safe?"

He rolled his eyes. "They're perfectly safe," he assured her. They walked together down the hall, she wringing her hands the whole way until they reached the tubes.

She hesitated. "Commander, I really am not comfortable-"

Putting his hands on her shoulders, he looked at her. "Think of this like a combination of a turbolift and a playground slide. Bend your knees when you land."

"What?"

With that he punched a code into the wall panel, then lifted her into the tube and gave her a small push. The scream that followed, with her cry of, "Commander, that was not funny!", made him smile. This trip would be a great adventure indeed.


	3. Chapter 3

**Title:** Well Read- Chapter 3

 **Rating:** T (for some language)

 **Summary:** After being taken captive by and escaping Reaver, the Commander begins to reveal the truth of the circumstances regarding his placement at the Starcademy. Miss Davenport also starts connecting other dots surrounding her firing and the reality of what her former job truly entailed.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Space Cases. Also, Saturnian Dreamer is the reason this crazy conspiracy idea of mine has gotten serious fleshing out, so thank you, thank you, thank you.

Over a year had passed and they had witnessed and survived so much in that time. Spung killcruisers, gerkels, Elmira, Shank, Dram, the Luff, nearly being blown apart by the Ferna Herna… the list went on. They had lost Cat, but gained Suzee. He and TJ were becoming closer, even though they still fought. That woman- she could challenge him more than anyone he'd ever met. Yet, she was intelligent and nurturing, always having the best interests of the crew at heart. They had begun talking more, almost nightly now, always creating plans for the children, working out what worked best for the team, and sometimes, they'd even share stories of their childhoods. With them now stranded on an alien planet, it gave them a deeper purpose, trying to balance lessons with conducting necessary repairs to get back into space. Seth hated the delay, but it kept him from needing to admit to a major secret he'd been keeping. He had still yet to admit what he knew about what was happening at home. To the corruption and the conspiracy. The rampant xenophobia against the Andromedan people and the intentional mistreatment Radu had faced. He shouldn't have held off for so long, but the timing never seemed right to reveal the truth.

In the meantime, there was a push and pull to them. And after any fantastic fight they had, he always felt compelled to come up with a spectacular apology. One such argument, after she'd been shrunken down by the Spung and he misunderstood her nobility for actually wanting to be thrown into the jungle (stupid, stupid, impulsive mouth of his), led to him coming up with what he felt was his best apology of all time. To anyone.

He built her a bookcase. Not that he was a master woodcrafter but after watching some videos on the SpaceNet, gathering materials on the planet, and assistance from Thelma, he was pretty impressed with himself. " _Almost looks like I knew what I was doing."_ He waited until TJ went out to gather food with Bova and Rosie, then worked feverishly to install the piece in her quarters and display the books he thought she'd most enjoy (many of which were already neatly stacked on tables in her quarters. Covering the work with a sheet, he waited for her to return so he could surprise her and apologize all at once.

She returned at dusk with their youngest charges, and after they'd catalogued and stored their fresh haul, he whisked her away, insisting there was something he needed to show her. TJ was guarded (as she'd been since the incident), but agreed. Before entering her quarters, Seth insisted she put on a blindfold.

"Pardon?" she had questioned.

"It's a surprise."

TJ's eyes narrowed but she humored him. "I swear, if you are walking me into another childish prank-"

"Do you trust me?" he whispered in her ear, as he opened the door to her quarters and guided her in. He felt a shudder go through her body as he did so.

"Y-yes," she whispered.

"Good." Positioning her facing away from the gift, he quickly moved to remove the sheet covering his handiwork, rubbed away some dust, and then ran back to her. Removing the blindfold she blinked a few times to allow her eyes to adjust to the light, then glanced at her surroundings.

"Seth-?"

"Sorry for the secrecy but I needed this to be a surprise," he said vaguely.

"What-?"

He tipped her face to look at him. "TJ, I was an impulsive ass who didn't think with those Spung hunters. I'm sorry. It was a betrayal of your trust in me and I thought for days about ways to make it up to you."

"I've already forgiven-"

"I made you something," he admitted. "To show you how sorry I am."

"Made something? I'm not sure I understand-"

"Turn around," he whispered nervously.

Her eyes narrowed, she turned… and gasped. Before her lay the most gorgeous set of bookshelves she ever laid eyes on. They had owned a small one when she was young, but this one was taller than she, fully stocked with the books she'd discovered on their first day aboard the Christa but never had found the time to organize. Tears pooled in her hazel eyes. She was touched. Truly this was the most thoughtful thing anyone had ever done for her.

"If you don't like it, I can-"

She turned quickly and put a finger to his lips. "Shh. It's perfect," she whispered. "How did-"

"The night you found these you said that you hoped to find a way to display them. Other than myself, I don't know anyone who would appreciate these as much as you. You deserve something nice to show them off. I even organized them by author. Took a while-" he trailed off watching her run her hand over the shelves.

"This is extraordinary work. You built this?" she asked, awed by his newfound skill.

"Thelma helped," he shrugged.

"Thank you. I don't deserve a gift like this though- especially as incredible an apology as this-"

"I wish I could do more."

Taking three long strides back to him, she braced on hand on his cheek and landed a kiss on the opposite one. His skin flamed at the contact, shocked, surprised- overjoyed? When she pulled away and he read the adoration and corresponding happiness in her eyes, he smiled genuinely back. It was a perfect moment, and one he didn't want to ruin.

Especially with the truth he kept putting off. Instead of facing it, Seth just allowed himself to enjoy the delight he had brought to TJ, talking about all the books he had placed on the shelves and making plans to share novels and poetry that had been displayed, making plans to read with one another and talk about the stories.

The truth couldn't remain hidden forever though and it all finally came to a head a few days later.

Reaver had shown up. A part of his past he wasn't proud of, but a part of the reason he'd been sent to the academy to begin with (though the rumors made it seem Reaver was the primary one- how wrong the rumors were). The pirate and his feline sidekick took them prisoner, by getting the drop on them, threatened to kill TJ if he tried any heroics, and used those damn mind control disks to get his way. Harlan managed to finally distract the pirate long enough to help break the control panel to the disks so Seth could get the drop on Reaver. Secure his weapon. Defend TJ's honor in the process ( _no one messes with her but me_ , he thought, still wondering why he was so defensive). Get him away from their ship and the planet. Speak to STARDOG Command a last time before losing contact. All he had been left with was an uncertainty about his job even being there for him when he returned. It was better than TJ.

The woman who had come to mean more to him than he ever believed possible, had lost her job. The Headmistress had fired her on the spot, after contacting the Starcademy to update them on the students' progress. She'd lamented while trapped in the ship's computer about losing her identity, but this- discovering she had no career to return to- was the real blow for her. TJ defined much of herself by her career success. Without it she was lost, afraid, and directionless. He had been ready to tell her why it might be for the best that she wouldn't be going back to the school, that she would not longer desire to be stuck behind a desk, and planned to confess what he knew of the corruption, Reaver's suspected involvement, how it tied to his demotion… all if it. He was going to share his secret- the fear that the Bride of Frankenstein was involved in something bigger and more dangerous. That getting far away from that place was the safest thing for her. It was the only way to keep her protected. It would shatter her world.

An hour later, Seth sought TJ out. The woman had disappeared soon after their final conversation with Admiral Cody, citing a desire to be alone for a while. The Commander found her sequestered in her quarters, wrapped in a blue blanket, a copy of _Julius Caesar_ in hand, a troubled look on her tear-streaked face. "TJ?" he asked tentatively as he entered the room.

"She quoted Caesar to me," was the reply as she leafed through the pages.

"I'm sorry?"

"The Headmistress quoted _Julius Caesar_ as she sacked me. I told her our being here was not our fault. That we were lost in the stars. She replied 'the fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars but in ourselves.' Then she said, 'you recognize the quote, I assume.'"

Seth's blood ran cold. "The night before we ended up on the Christa. You quoted Shakespeare to me. 'It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves,'" he remembered in a tremored whisper. "How the hell-?"

"She knew," TJ agreed. "This whole time, she was waiting. The Headmistress is a great many things, but literary is not one. Cunning, calculating, absolutely. That quote was one she had prepared for a long time and she bided her time to use it."

"But how did she know?" he asked worriedly. "I've always been so careful. And what else does she know?"

TJ shivered under her blanket and sniffled. "I haven't a clue. The only reason I had any idea where you were was because Father suggested it, but he spoke in riddles that I needed to decipher-"

"Were you on a secure line with your dad?"

"Why would I need to be? I wasn't exactly trading- are you suggesting someone was monitoring my communications?" she asked in horror. His silence answered the question for her. "But that's… it is… preposterous! That is preposterous! What would anyone stand to gain from spying on me? My record speaks for itself. Completely unblemished, up until the Christa showed up."

Seth felt the guilt crushing him, and he managed to choke out, "It's my fault. They wanted to know where I was and used you to get it."

"But the communication with Father didn't mention-"

"Someone had to have hacked into your call. They know you're brilliant and would work out the answer, so they waited. Maybe even followed you-"

"But-"

"You said the Headmistress has been threatening you. Pressuring you. About me, about Radu, about turning a blind eye."

"Yes, but-"

"Why?"

She shook her head. "I don't know."

"Think, TJ. How did Reaver know about my demotion today if I've had no contact with him since before it happened? What is our history? How does it connect to my placement at the academy?"

Seth rapid fired questions at her, making her more and more anxious until she finally burst out, "I don't know! No one ever divulged to me the reason you were placed at the academy, other than you nearly set us to war with Reaver."

"Did you ever discover if that was the truth?"

TJ dropped her head in embarrassment and shook it. "No. I did try once to see if there was more to the story, but the file was classified- well above my clearance. All I had was the assurance of Father that there was more than I knew and try to give you a chance." Her voice barely registered above a whisper and Seth strained to hear her.

"They found out we were talking that night," Seth continued. Obviously heard what was said. The literary quotes. The talk of Caesar. Holy hell- I mentioned you taking over the school one day… she saw you as a threat," he realized in horror. "Cast you as Brutus the betrayer but treated you as Caesar."

"A threat? To what exactly? I certainly had no immediate ambitions to take over. Hell, I was becoming disillusioned enough myself with the ways things were run that I considered quitting-"

"She didn't know that," Seth pointed out. "We had a bonding moment, she knows what we said, and she acted." He paced the room, running his hands through his hair repeatedly. "It's my fault. It all comes back to me."

"Seth, you can't blame yourself-"

"But it's true! I cost you your career because I was getting too close-"

"What are you on about?"

"Reaver was smuggling materials from the UPP to hand off to another race outside UPP territories," he started. "He was hired by someone inside to do this. To give the materials to our enemies to make weapons that could put the lives of millions in jeopardy. I had evidence- proof!- that he was being paid to do this."

"What sort of evidence?" TJ asked nervously.

"I had recordings but he also told me. I made the mistake of going to him. Face-to-face. I let my ego and my stupid impulses dictate my actions and we ended up in a fight. Reaver gave this long winded speech about how my beloved UPP was not so innocent and how I was fighting for the wrong side. My anger got the best of me. I reached for the knife I kept on me, swung and prayed. Got him right in the face. It distracted him long enough that I could save myself."

"Fortunate you were able to get away," TJ said worriedly. "Even if Reaver also managed to escape."

"I didn't mean to slash him in the face. I meant to slit his throat," the Commander said darkly. "I should have aimed better. Then he really couldn't deliver his goods."

Seeing the darkness cloud his face at that made TJ shiver again. "You don't really mean that." She was horrified that he had ever needed to entertain-

He continued before she could respond.

"I ordered my ship to chase him down after that. The fleet commander- the Admiral- tried stopping me. We argued- why in hell would you allow that much material that could end up with weapons pointed at us just go without a fight?- but ultimately I couldn't let it go. Too many peoples' lives were at risk. The delay with us fighting about it allowed Reaver to escape anyway." His shoulders slumped. "I got taken into custody for disobeying a direct order but I had my proof. All the tapes, the surveillance, hours of footage of meetings between Reaver and his sources. If I had been able to prove that there was some sort of reasoning, a justification, I felt I could make the court understand my actions."

"What happened?" TJ asked curiously.

"I tried arguing it during the proceedings. I wanted to show the recordings I had. They declared the evidence inadmissible. Court Martials are supposed to allow me the opportunity to present my side- I was ready- but I was never given the chance. My punishment had been decided before I even set foot into my own hearing. It was a damned monkey trial."

"What happened to your tapes?"

"Oh, that's the best part. Upon my demotion, all my logs as captain were confiscated and labeled 'classified.' Lost all access to them," he said bitterly.

"But if they were the ones who let Reaver gun run the materials for our enemies to use for creating weapons, then that means…" He watched the moment her eyes registered the truth. Her world shattered as she shook and began taking gasping breaths, rocked by the revelation that everything she thought was true was crumbling around her.

He jumped in to embrace her, rubbing circles on her back with one hand and smoothing her hair with the other as he allowed her time to cry. The sobs consumed her as she clutched his jacket in fistfulls. They sat together for several minutes like that until the tears began subsiding and she pulled away from him. "Who else knows about this? And what is the motive behind it?" TJ asked, wiping the tears from her eyes. "And how long has this been happening?"

Seth heaved a great sigh and nervously ran his hands through his hair. "If what I've learned is true, then it's been happening at least since the war. Maybe longer. There is a rather loud group of people who opposed the alliance the High Council struck with the Andromedans after the Spung retreated."

"I'm aware of that. A great many families lost loved ones during the war," TJ said. "Harlan's included."

"There's far more going on. Stuff that I found out which were discovered by chance. More than just Reaver, although that's the excuse they use to scandalize and bury me- and my reputation. Things that shocked me but I dug deeper only to be caught and railroaded and discredited. I was silenced and put somewhere Command believed I wouldn't cause trouble."

"Seth-"

"There is a movement of people who want to completely destroy the Andromedans, through any means possible. The conditions in the colony were rapidly deteriorating before we left. Shipments of food and supplies were being delayed. Travel is severely restricted. Every job there exists solely to serve the needs of the UPP at large. As a race, the Andromedans are happy to comply as they are no longer directly slaves, but they are being severely taken advantage of. Even Radu, who was sent as a student to the Academy as a goodwill gesture to help assimilate his culture, was targeted. You said as much," Seth reminded her.

"I knew that the Headmistress was allowing students to bully Radu and refused to handle discipline," TJ admitted.

"She wanted him to fail. Then she could prove to the school board that Andromedans as a race were failures because of Radu's inability to hack it. Then future Andromedans would be denied entry to the Starcademy. The Headmistress of Frankenstein was even aware of the fact I suspected things were foul but she had her ace who would keep me in line if ordered to do so," he said quietly. Tears welled in his eyes as he said it, his heart breaking as he did so. "That woman didn't bank on me going rogue and purposely trying to distract you from the deep shit going on around us, trying to protect you while creating the biggest distractions possible to make you believe I was incompetent. To keep you from meetings and away from conflicts with other administrators. Skipping classes or neglecting paperwork so you'd have to come after me. That way, I could keep you distracted from digging into why I was there, and keep a target from ending up on your back."

TJ struggled to breathe in. It was all so much to take in. There was a question she had though, but was afraid of the answer. In something the Commander said, an odd admission. "Why were you protecting me specifically?" she asked shakily.

Their eyes locked together then, tears shining in her eyes, and he was sure his eyes looked the same. She looked fragile, scared, but still completely trusting of him. He didn't deserve it. "Your dad was helping me figure things out. We'd been speaking on secure, encrypted lines to avoid our communications being seen or heard. He wanted me to make sure you were safe. I promised…" Tears fell freely now, his voice shaky.

"Seth?" she asked quietly, her own eyes watering and tears tracking down her cheeks. Her hands cupped his face, turning it to face her. "Is my father safe?"

The tears fell harder. "I don't know Teej," he admitted through sobs. "I hope so."

"He's known about all of this though. This whole time…" Her own tears fell harder as her hands drew away from Seth's face, only for the man to take hold of them.

"He asked me to look out for you. To keep you safe," Seth repeated as he squeezed her hands. "I played the role of disruptive, insubordinate ass to keep you away from the corruption, the shark infested waters, and I still screwed up. It was snowballing out of control and your dad- he was supposed to take you away to the theater, then afterwards read you in to what was happening. We had the whole weekend to calm you down. Then the Christa happened and we're here and…"

TJ watched him let go of her hands and drop onto the couch. Seth's head fell into his hands as he shook. Her own mind was racing as she tried to process the information Seth had just dumped on her. It felt like a giant glitch, an error code message relentlessly beeping because if what Seth had just told was indeed true- and she had no reason to believe otherwise- then her entire career at the Starcademy was based on a complicated web of lies. "My career has been nothing but a series of deceptions."

"Not all of it," Seth jumped in. "There were other people- good people- who believed in the same ideals and were looking to improve the lives of all members of the UPP."

"But I was specifically chosen to monitor you. Your progress- or lack thereof," she pointed out shakily. "I was nothing more than their pawn."

"It's how some in power treated you, yes," Seth agreed, voice soft but tone denoting a deep sadness. TJ deserved far better than the treatment the Headmistress- and even he- had shown. In his mind, he felt his actions could be justified as keeping her alive but his heart still ached for her. It was an awful scenario to be in, no matter what way it was presented. "I'm so, so sorry," he whispered dejectedly.

TJ sat beside him and tipped his chin upwards to look at her. "Whatever for? You were not the one who initially created this mess. So even if your actions did create some issues for me then, I can see now they were rooted in the noblest of intentions. It's who you are, Seth Goddard. Not your rank, not your reputation, but the core of your character. If anything, I'm the one who should be sorry for not expressing that more clearly sooner." Her shoulders slumped as she dropped her hand from his chin, morosely adding, "I just wish I knew who I was now."

It was Seth's turn to take her hands and squeeze them. Glancing at the copy of Caesar which had been discarded onto the coffee table, he took a breath and said, "And since you know you cannot see yourself, so well as by reflection, I, your glass, will modestly discover to yourself, that of yourself which you yet know not of."

"Seth?" she whispered.

"Shakespeare. Caesar," he admitted. "I read it after the last time you quoted it."

What TJ did next shocked both of them. Without thought, her hands let go of his to frame his face and kiss him soundly. He responded in turn, surprised by the amount of emotion springing up between both of them as he pulled her closer, feeling both of their hearts pounding in time. It was he who pulled away first, pressing his forehead to hers as they both tried to catch their collective breaths. "My," she whispered. "That was-"

"Wow," he finished, voice still breathy.

"Did you mean what you said?" TJ asked.

"Only if you can do the same for me," he whispered. "You make me better and I hope that I do the same for you."

"Always. 'I am constant as the Northern Star, Of whose true fixed and resting quality, There is no fellow in the firmament,'" she said softly. "Also Caesar."

"You amaze me," he breathed before pulling her close and kissing her once more. He pulled away once the need to breathe became too great just as he was struck with a troubling thought. "Space help me. What are we doing?"

"I should think it's quite obvious," TJ practically purred, reaching for him again.

"Well, yeah, I mean- wait." He was stammering like a teenager around his crush. _Focus, Seth,_ he mentally chastised himself.

"What's wrong?"

"The STARDOGS and Starcademy both have rules about fraternizing," he said sadly. "We've got to be breaking all of them."

"Judging by what the Headmistress said, that seems to be the feeling," she admitted. "Although…" she paused as she came to her own realization. "I am no longer employed by the Starcademy." It was a statement, a breathy admission and note of being free from all that held her back. "Those rules no longer apply to me." She rose to her feet and paced, understanding for the first time the implications of her newfound freedom.

"Teej, we still have to work together to get those kids home. Despite the heavy shit happening there, we need to do the right thing," he said sadly. "We can't afford to let ourselves get distracted by- I don't know what I would do if I lost-" Seth hung his head, trying to hide the pure agony he was feeling.

She dropped to sit beside him, tilting his head once more to face her. Her heart broke upon seeing the anguish clouding his beautiful blue eyes. Heavens, she loved his eyes. "Seth?"

"I promised. I promised your dad I would protect you and I promised the kids that I'd get them home," he choked out.

"And you will," she assured him. "We will."

"Not while we're trapped on this planet," he lamented. "Without a power crystal, we'll stay grounded. And then what?"

"The UPP knows where we are," TJ offered.

"There's that. Part of me would be relieved for a rescue to bring us home," he admitted.

"And the other part?"

He sighed. "I feel like I'm just starting to get back to myself again. Going back this soon, and before I have what I need to expose the dirty politics, the mess at the school-" His fingers began nervously raking through his hair. "I have to do something."

TJ understood where he was going. "We need a new power crystal in order to get back into space," she said quietly.

"Yeah." He sighed loudly.

"You need to go out and search for one so we don't end up stuck here. Heaven knows that as a result of Reaver discovering our whereabouts, it'll be a matter of time before someone finds us. Likely people we would rather not have find us," TJ continued.

"I don't want to leave you- the crew," he told her, correcting himself mid-sentence but she had already caught the mistake.

"I don't love the idea of you leaving," she said quietly.

"But there isn't much of a choice," he added sadly. "I hate this." In a whisper, he added, "I wish you could come with me."

"You know I can't. Someone has to watch the students," she reasoned.

"I know." He ran his fingers through his hair as he stood up and started pacing. "We need to plan for what happens if I go on this little expedition."

"When you go," TJ corrected. "Certainly can't send the children. And I would likely get myself eaten by something in the jungle, or captured by Spung, or shrunk down again-"

He sighed loudly. "Yeah, I got it," he huffed. "It's gotta be me."

"For the record, I don't much like this either," she said softly, rephrasing her earlier words. "It would probably be best if we started figuring out what we need for you to take on this little expedition of yours."

"The sooner you go, the sooner you return to m- us," she whispered, blushing at her near slip of the tongue.

Squeezing her hand, he picked up a Compupad and together, they started writing plans.


	4. Chapter 4

"Are you certain you have everything you require?" TJ asked worriedly.

"I think so," Seth told her.

"You think or you know?" she asked pointedly.

"TJ, relax," he told her. "We already located where the ore would be. I just need to work my way through the jungle, secure what I need, and return to the Christa. I figure it'll be about a week there and a week back. Give or take a little bit. I'll be back before you know it."

The pair had spent three days combing through maps of the planet, searching for any sort of ore deposits that might contain anything that could be used as a power crystal for their ship, ultimately finding the cavern Seth would travel to. He had the specs from Suzee for what size and type of crystal was needed, and if he could find multiple, all the better. He had spent the evening packing the gear he would need and sought out TJ after, looking to spend time in her company before needing to leave.

"Relaxing is easier said than done," she told him. "Especially for me." Her shoulders slumped as her head hung.

"I thought about that," he admitted. "So I thought I'd leave this with you." Reaching into the inside pocket of his uniform jacket, he pulled out his dog-eared, well-loved copy of _The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy_ and handed it over, a lopsided smirk affixed to his face.

Affixed to the front, on some sort of sticky paper he'd found were the words "DON'T PANIC", obviously both advice for what to do in his absence and a teasing dig at her penchant for doing just that in difficult situations.

TJ rolled her eyes at him and pouted as she accepted it, promising to keep the book safe until he returned. "And you had better come back in one piece," she recalled warning him.

"Why, TJ, it sounds very much like you care," he said slyly, teasing the woman and earning a hard smack to the shoulder.

"Honestly," she retorted, crossing her arms and looking away. "I'd sooner feed you to the sand monster." Marching across the room, and into her washroom, she returned with a sky blue towel, neatly folded and likely recently laundered, and thrust it into his arms. "For your journey. I'm sure you hadn't thought to pack one."

Seth grinned, understanding the reference as he accepted the item and rubbed his hands over it. "A towel, it says, is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have-"

TJ played along. "Partly it has great practical value - you can wrap it around you for warmth-"

"Wet it for use in hand-to- hand-combat; wrap it round your head to ward off noxious fumes," he had added, grinning at the literary ping pong game they played.

"Or you can wave your towel in emergencies as a distress signal, and of course dry yourself off with it, if it still seems to be clean enough," she finished.

"Thank you, TJ," he said softly, allowing her the end of their game of quotes. Closing the space between them, he placed a small kiss on her forehead, drawing a tiny grasp of surprise from her as he did so. "I'll take good care of this," he promised with a whisper. Drawing away slightly, he saw the deep red flush that bloomed on her cheeks, matching her hair color.

TJ only nodded in return, unsure how to answer that. Fortunately, she didn't need to.

"I also added a secure channel on your Compupad," he told her.

"What?" she asked, still in a haze.

"Secure channel. So we can talk while I'm gone. Encrypted. Suzee helped me with writing an algorithm. This way our communications can't be overheard or traced, like what happened with Reaver," he told her. "I wouldn't doubt the man had a hand in contacting Command himself, considering all that's happened," Seth said bitterly.

"Do you think he is still in close range?" TJ asked worriedly.

"I don't know," he sighed. "I'd rather not find out though. Besides, is it terrible I want this to be something for just us? A way to talk with no one else to hear?"

"And here I thought that any man who can hitch the length and breadth of the galaxy, rough it, slum it, struggle against terrible odds, win through, and still knows where his towel is, is clearly a man to be reckoned with." She grinned smugly at that.

A lopsided smirk was her reward for that quip. He saw the way it completely disarmed her and he found that he liked that reaction from her. "That sense of humor is getting better," he complimented.

Red. Bright red. "Quite."

He had bid her good night then, stopping back in the morning before he left to say a proper goodbye, and flirtatiously asked for a hug, to which she responded by filling his arms with his gear. With a smirk, he left, and she was left to care for the children over the next two weeks without him. They did speak every day on the channel Seth had established and their nightly talks had been… enlightening.

Confessions. Flirting. Reflections. Each day had brought new revelations between the pair of them that made TJ see the man differently and if she were to guess, the same could be said for the way Seth viewed her as well. He shared happy stories of his relationship with his three siblings, of his tumultuous relationship with his father, of growing up in Montreal and feeling stifled and held down there. Seth never went too deeply into his family, but rather kept things light, likely to keep her from worrying more about him that she already was. It made her wonder more about the man, feeling an underlying sadness when he spoke of his siblings, but not pushing him to share any more than he was comfortable with, especially without being close to him. Instead, TJ spoke about her strained relationship with her mother and sister, of the support James always gave her, of growing up on Mars colony and feeling isolated and alone when her dad was away. Some stories contained things they had never shared with anyone else, like how each desperately tried to hide their love of reading to others for fear of ridicule (even as they shared reading stories to one another which both took comfort in), the isolation each felt as they managed their intelligence as children, always finding it hard to truly connect to someone else who never understood how their brains operated. Each shared their feelings of inadequacy with their respective difficult parents regarding the lack of significant other- TJ for not becoming the perfect wife and mother that her own Mum wanted; Seth for his perceived "gallivanting" around the galaxy and ignoring his duties to family as his father accused. Both let their guards down, trusting the other with their most intimate thoughts, musings, and slowly building feelings. TJ began to wonder just how much their feelings had changed towards one another and what that meant moving forward.

One thing she noted was how much bolder they were over comms, using the technology to hide behind their growing feelings and say what might not have been said directly face-to-face. He was equal parts mischievous and kind, intelligent and brave, courageous and compassionate. Some days he pushed her buttons and fired her up to where their banter flowed easily and freely. TJ wasn't opposed to pushing him right back. It was hard not to smile in those moments, each challenging the other as their banter passed right to overtly flirting with one another, turning each of their faces a brilliant crimson color, and leaving her heart pounding uncontrollably in her chest. A couple evenings found them both discussing the day's events, with one night in particular showing him clutching the towel she'd given him the evening before his departure.

"There's an ammonia storm heading this way," he said grimly.

TJ knew he'd been heading back and had been looking forward to his return- probably more than she should have been. Reasonably, it was because it gave her back the only support she had against the children and relieved some of the pressure. More honestly, she simply missed *him* and was hoping to be able to openly talk about their feelings in person. "Will you be able to return before you're caught in it?" she asked worriedly.

He shook his head. "No. I've mapped out a dozen different routes to try and beat it. Nothing works. I did find a network of caves not far from where I am now. They should provide a reasonable place to hunker down and wait out the storm until it passes."

"Is that wise, Seth? What about-?"

"The noxious fumes? That's what I have the towel for," he told her as he held up the blue cloth and grinned. "It's been, as we expected, a most massively useful thing."

She blushed. "I'm quite pleased you considered my advice."

"I always do," he said sincerely.

"That's a load of rubbish," she threw back.

"No, it's not," he insisted. "I completely rely on your advice for just about everything. Maybe I don't always use every bit, but I always consider your thoughts. Obviously I'm doing a terrible job of letting you know that. I'm sorry. I'll do better," he promised.

They sat in companionable silence, TJ simply watching the man through the screen of her Compupad as he absently ran his hands over the towel. Seth's eyes looked far away as he became lost in thought and struggled to decide on what to say next. What came out caught her off guard.

"I miss you."

Her heart began pounding at his confession. To be honest, she had already admitted to feeling the same to herself, but she was having trouble believing his feelings matched hers. "You do?" she whispered.

"Would I be talking to you every day if I didn't?"

She paused. He had a point. "True enough."

"You don't miss me?" he asked hesitantly. TJ's potential response had him on edge.

"I do," she confessed quietly. "Perhaps more than I thought I would or that I should."

"We should get dinner when I get back," he blurted out quickly

"Pardon?" Her head snapped upwards as her heart pounded harder. Surely, he didn't just ask-

"Dinner," he said again. "It's an evening meal usually consisting of some sort of food and light conversation." His eyebrows were raised in amusement, but his eyes themselves betrayed a different emotion. Nervousness? Affection? Hope?

"I know what it is," she said in annoyance but feeling more flustered than anything. "Are you asking me on a date, Commander?"

"Maybe?" He saw the widening of her eyes, then backpedaled quickly. "It doesn't have to be! Just- two adults enjoying each other's company away from the prying eyes and ears of the students they are charged with caring for."

TJ had seen the hope in his eyes, but also a worry as well. He's scared, she thought. For a brief moment, she wondered if his heart was hammering as hard as hers, if her eyes mirrored his in that moment. "Dinner would be lovely," she decided. "It's rare we get a moment away to just be… us. I think it would be good to relax a little. Not take each other for granted."

"I'm sorry, did Theresa James Davenport just use the word relax in a sentence?" he teased.

"I daresay, you have a talent for ruining perfectly nice moments!" she exclaimed. "Perhaps you should dine alone instead." She crossed her arms and pouted, looking away.

"TJ. Teej, look at me," he implored quietly. She cautiously glanced over, still pouting, but noting how thoroughly disarmed he seemed to be. _Does my pout throw him off guard the way his smirk messes with me?_ she thought curiously. "I was teasing. Sometimes I forget your sense of humor is still a work in progress. I'm sorry," he told her sincerely.

Her shoulders visibly relaxed and the pout melted into a soft smile. Seth released a breath he hadn't known he was holding. "Yes, well… thank you." Taking her own breath, she added, "I think dinner would be… nice."

He flashed her a thousand megawatt smile that made her heart flutter in her chest and started a whole conversation about when their "adult time" could be a reality.

Alas, they never got their dinner. Upon Seth's return, they briefly believed they would be returning home- only for it to be a trap laid out by the Spung, which they were only just barely alerted to, courtesy of Radu and Suzee. Their narrow escape ended up with Seth severely injured and her all alone again. She had wanted to cry, to scream, to let her anxiety get the best of her but in front of the students she needed to remain calm and together. It wouldn't do anyone good to fall apart when she was literally the only adult the children had, at least until Seth was healed by the mysterious chamber Rosie had discovered before- TJ couldn't even bring herself to consider what could have happened.

By this point it had been nearly two months since their last face-to-face conversation. The discussion that led to their first kiss. The talk that ended with Seth realizing that he was the one who needed to find what was needed to get them off that God forsaken planet and help move them towards home. A home that held nothing physical for either of them- _except Father, assuming he is okay_ , TJ thought silently to herself. In the time alone, the moments she wasn't looking out for the children (likely because they were asleep and she wasn't able to), TJ was either beside Seth as he lay comatose in the healing chamber Rosie had discovered (apparently just in time as his injuries would surely have killed him otherwise), or holed up in her quarters, taking comfort in the many books the man had painstakingly chosen to have displayed in her personal space upon the beautiful mahogany-colored shelves he'd crafted. At times, she contemplated what had motivated him to create something so personal just for her. Others, she would appreciate the gift for what it was. She would read, record log entries, and even take some of the Earth literature she knew he would enjoy and read to him, unsure if Seth could hear her, but imagining what he might say if she could.

In selecting what to read to him several weeks into his involuntary imprisonment, she spotted the well-loved copy of _The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy_ , the one that he'd teasingly handed her the night before he left for his expedition to look for a power crystal. It was a fit of sobs in her quarters that caused her to see the book on her nightstand. "DON'T PANIC" the letters on the cover told her. Seth's message. Even hurt, he was still able to communicate with her. It brought her great comfort to know that, and she could hear his voice in her head as she read the words. With a shaky smile, she took the book gently in her hands, kissed the handwritten words, and promised aloud that she would do just as he wished. "I'll make you proud, Seth," she whispered softly. "I promise."

Rosie had been monitoring the Commander's progress throughout his time in the chamber and reported earlier that day that it should only be a day or two until he could be released- albeit on bedrest for several more days- before returning to active duty. It pleased TJ as it was becoming harder and harder to keep everything together in his absence. The entire experience certainly strengthened her as a person, taught TJ that she was more capable than anyone had ever led her to believe, but it also humbled her. It made her understand she couldn't do everything alone and she truly needed a partner on their journey. Not just anyone though. She needed _him_. Each day that passed without him weighed heavier and heavier. Talking to him within the chamber wasn't the same- she desperately needed his physical presence again.

Entering the Medlab after Rosie had left for the night, TJ pulled a chair beside the cylindrical tube that held Seth prisoner, and covered her own seat with the towel. The one she'd thrust at him to take on his expedition. The one he'd used to protect himself from the elements. The same one she'd cried privately into so many times since Seth had been taken from her so that the children would not see her meltdown. It became a source of comfort for her, an item with a shared significance and what she used now to sit beside him and give him the daily debriefing.

"Good evening, Seth," she greeted him warmly. No movement or response, but then there never was. "Rosie tells me you'll be well enough to join us again in a few days. She wants you to stay on bedrest for a week or so after which I'm sure you'll resist, but believe me, I will make sure you follow those orders." She paused then, feeling as though she were lecturing the man when he couldn't fight back. "Perhaps I can give you the towel we apparently are now sharing. It's been a great source of comfort in your absence." Her hand absently rubbed the fabric she was sitting on, contemplating what to say next.

"I- um, brought some more reading material tonight. Perhaps we can continue with _The Martian Chronicles_? You did say it was something you enjoyed- oh, but I say that each time any book is opened, don't I?" Cracking open the book to the page she'd marked, TJ began to read. "I'm numb and I'm tired. Too much has happened today. I feel as if I'd been out in a pounding rain for forty-eight hours without an umbrella or a coat. I'm soaked to the skin with emotion." Her voice choked up on the words and TJ found that no more of the prose could escape. It described exactly the state she'd been living in since Seth had been injured. The words, though Bradbury's, spoke right to *her* even as she meant to read to Seth. Not for the first time, TJ stared in amazement at the man before her. "How is it that every time I try reading to you, the passage I select feels like advice for myself? You've always been good at that- speaking to me in literary terms. The right words always seem to come to you. Even while trapped inside a glass tube you seem to find the words that get through to me. It's-"

She couldn't get the rest of the words out. Heaving a great sob, she closed the book, pulled herself into a ball, and cried until exhausted, fisting handfuls of the towel in the process. "I fear that I haven't appreciated you the way I should," TJ admitted through the tears. "I need to do better. I have to do better. I will. Just… please… I may have learned through this time I can do things alone, but I also found that I don't want to. Please, come back to me." The last words escaped as a whispered plea from a woman desperate to see the man she'd grown to deeply care for healed and fully out amongst them all.

He continued his forced slumber, unaware of the sobbing woman beside him, gently touching the glass of the chamber, and allowing the salty tears to flow down her cheeks. Not knowing that this breakdown would be the last of so many that had been endured over the past several weeks. For the next day, while she was caring for the students, Rosie and Thelma were able to bring him back.


End file.
